Flexible and collapsible tub



March 27, 1962 Filed A ril 10, 1959 M. F. LEWIS FLEXIBLE AND COLLAPSIBLETUB 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 ist- INVENTOR. MARGERY F. LEWIS ATTORNEYS March 27,1962 M. F. LEWIS 3,026,539

FLEXIBLE AND COLLAPSIBLE TUB Filed April 10, 1959 2 Sheets-Sheet 2INVENTOR. ARGE-RY F. LEWIS ATTORNEYS aazasas Fatenteel Mar. 2?, l$2

- are 3,026,539 FLEXIBLE AND COLLAPSKBLE TUB Margery F. Lewis, Rte. 1,Box 218, Drain, Oreg. Filed Apr. 10, 1959, Ser. No. 805,463 1 Claim.(Cl. 4177) The present invention relates to a flexible and collapsibletub for use in stall type showers.

The primary object of the invention is to provide a flexible andcollapsible bath tub for use in stall showers for holding water whenbathing children.

Another object of the invention is to provide a tub of the classdescribed above that can be used by adults for bathing their feet.

A further object of this invention is to provide a tub of the classdficribed above that can be collapsed and stored while not in use.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a collapsible tubof the type described that can also be used separately without anyconnection to a bath room.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a structure of theclass described which may also be used as a collapsible wading pool foryoungsters.

Other objects and advantages will become apparent in the followingspecification when considered in light of the attached drawings, inwhich:

FIGURE 1 is a plan view of the invention shown positioned in aconventional shower stall;

FIGURE 2 is a side elevation of the structure shown in FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 3 is a fragmentary enlarged detail perspective view of one of theupper corners of the tub partially broken away and in section forconvenience of illustration;

FIGURE 4 is a fragmentary enlarged vertical sectional view taken on line4' lof FIGURE 1, looking in the direction of the arrows;

FIGURE 5 is a fragmentary enlarged plan view of one of the lower ends ofthe supporting legs for supporting the tub;

FIGURE 6 is an end elevational view of the tub in collapsed positionwhile not in use; and

FIGURE 7 is an exploded perspective View of the invention.

Referring now to the drawings in detail wherein like referencecharacters indicate like parts throughout the several figures, thereference character T indicates generally a flexible collapsible tubattachment for a stall shower S.

The tub T includes a box-like flexible container C, having side walls 10and 11, and end walls 12 and 13, with a generally horizontal bottom 14associated therewith, all corners being watertight. The upper edges 15of the side walls 10 and ll have loops 116 formed integrally thereon.Rigid tubular rods 17 extend through the loops 16 the full length of thecontainer C.

Supporting U-shaped leg assemblies L include legs 18 and 19, the lowerends of which are bent to provide a bottom bight portion and arehingedly secured together at 20. The upper ends of the bars 18 and 19are bent at right angles to form horizontal oftset extensions 21. Theextensions 21 engage in the openings 22 of the end walls 12 and ll?) ofthe container C and into the tubular rods 17, as best illustrated inFIGURES 3 and 7. When the Weight of the container C with its contents,such as water, pulls down on the supporting leg assemblies L, it forcesthem to the position shown in FIGURES 2 and 7, supporting the containerC rigidly.

When it is desired to store the container C the upper ends or" the legs18 and 19, together with the transverse tubular rods 17, are broughttogether, as illustrated in FIGURE 6, collapsing the container C,requiring a minimum of space for storage.

Located centrally of the bottom of the container C is a drain fitting 23which includes a pair of reinforcing disks 2d and 25 vulcanized to thematerial 26 of the container C. Located in the center of the fitting 23is an opening 27 which receives the usual drain plug 28. The opening 27registers with the drain 29 located on the bottom 30 of the shower stallS.

When the tub T is being used in a shower stall S, the leg assemblies Lare brought into position and attached to the elongated tubular rods 17,as above described, to support the container C within the shower stallS, or in the event the same is used other than within the shower stallS, the same can be located on any flat surface, as for instance on thelawn, for wading purposes.

Having thus described the prefeired embodiment of the invention, itshould be understood that numerous structural modifications andadaptations may be resorted to without departing from the scope of theappended claim.

What is claimed is:

A flexible and collapsible tub assembly comprising a flexible box-likecontainer having a pair of spaced upright side walls, a pair of spacedupright end walls extending between and connecting the ends of said sidewalls, and a generally horizontal bottom wall connecting the lower edgesof said side Walls and said end walls, said side end and bottom wallsbeing formed of flexible water-proof material, each of said flexibleside walls having a loop integrally formed on the upper end thereof, atubular rod in each of said loops, a pair of pivotally connected angularleg assemblies for supporting said side walls and said end walls in avertical position, each of said leg assemblies having a bight portionextending from a centrally disposed pivot along the lower edge of aflexible end wall, a pair of portions extending upwardly from the bightportion having a horizontally oflset extension on the upper end of eachupwardly extending portion of the removably contained within an end ofsaid tubular rods.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS2,062,316 Johnson Dec. 1, 1936 FOREIGN PATENTS 49,112 Switzerland Feb.10, 1910

